State Senator Phil Fortunato, a resident of Auburn, officially declared his candidacy for the position of Washington’s next secretary of state.
During his tenure in the Legislature, Fortunato took the initiative to sponsor legislation that aimed to address concerns related to the voter registration process. In the 2023 session, he put forth Senate Bill 5140, which sought to conduct comprehensive stress tests on the state’s elections system in order to identify any vulnerabilities. Similarly, during the 2020 session, he sponsored Senate Bill 6412 with the objective of bolstering the security of Washington’s elections. Despite his efforts, both bills unfortunately failed to be passed by the Legislature.
In 2016, Fortunato was elected to the state House of Representatives. However, he assumed the role of a Senator to fill the vacancy left by Pam Roach before taking office, which meant he did not serve in the House during that period.
Fortunato had previously held a position in the House from 1998 to 2000.
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, a Democrat, was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to take over the position previously held by former Secretary of State Kim Wyman, a Republican. Wyman left office in November 2021 to join President Joe Biden’s administration in a crucial election-security role.
In November 2022, Hobbs emerged victorious in a special election against independent candidate Julie Anderson. This election was held to fill the remaining two years of Wyman’s four-year term.
Hobbs, a Democrat, achieved a historic victory by becoming the first to win the office since 1960.
The primary election in Washington will take place on August 6, while the general election is scheduled for November 5.
